The Master said—Rotten wood cannot be carved. This pithy apothegm of Confucius carties its own explanation. It is intended to convey by the symbolism which underlies so much of the Chinese language, the truth that there is a point of degeneration in the physical, the intellect tual, and the moral nature of man beyond which reformation is impossible. then no longer a question of the' probabilities of success. Tools can indeed be pissed through it with little obstruction, but rotten wood cannot be carved, for the reason that it is certain to fall in pieces during the process, when it is no longer wood bat merely crumbling fragments on their swift way to return to dust. There is an important difference between the materially rotten, and that which is intellectually or morally so. In the former ease competent Ginguosis can decide with positiveness as to the results. If a thing is too far gon for repairs, an engineer knows it with Tu the intellectual real there nce. Mental wrecks do sometimes recuperate in a surprising way. And this is even more conspicuoudy true of moral wrecks, for the intellectual and the moral are practically inseparable. History is full of contradictions to the unguslitied proposition that rotten wood cumot be carved. Under proper influences it is often restored and much more than restored.
Due question whether the literati of the China of to-day asa whole are or are not siead wood beyond the power of the carver's art we do not remember to have heard discussed by any Chinese who have not been influenced by Western thought. But it iva problem upon which the friends of China from the lands of the West have long. In the evolution history the time seems now to have definitely arrived, when the question can be settled. The Imp edict published in the Peking Guzette of the 22nd of the 5th Moon (July 10th) epitomized in our columns at the time, marks "crisis. Practical Chinese Litera: ture" and "Western Learning," (ea highly tuid terms,) are to be henceforth ined in Provincial and County Academies. Existing institutions are to be reled after x definite pattern set up in All except oficial temples (where es are required from magistrates) may be, and apparently must be used ne centres' of this New Learning.
The vital matter of revenues for so vast system is dealt with ina line or two, and reports are demanded within two months from provincial Governors as to the present status and future prospects. thus we have one of the greatest.revolutions in the history of China introduced almost incident tally, and with no explanation, In cerine: tion with the previous abolition of the exmination Essay it (potentially) reverses the whole intellectual cure st of the Empire. In the slow course of Chinese official di patches it will occupy two months to this edict in form before the lower Distr: Officinls where the bulk of the chang must lie, Already they are rubbing their eyes and scratching their heads in astonish! ment and wonder. tural comment heir brief but to the poi Not easily done. No doubt, but will it be done at all? The Emperor in previous Reform Edicts has shown his sense of dependence upon his servants and upon the people.. He now offers rewards for those who philanthropically ce-operate. How many such will there be! The magistrate: hastily summoning the local literati, and the gentry are all alive with interest. Their Surprise and distrust of the new regime are quite natural under the circnmstatices. Yet the ferment of the last four years ought to have made clear the comi changes. Will the literati of Eh the occasion and save the Em they really rotten wood, wh carved *,4 It will be seen at once that this article was written before news of the recent coup d'état had reached the writer.—Ep.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.